OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2373, 24 August 1899, Page 6

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) BRADFORD, June 23. No. 2.— TO TELL, GOOD WOOL OF WELLBRED SHEEP WITHOUT HANDLING. Every practical man knows that it is important to note that sheep are well woolled on belly, legs, thighs, etc. The wool fcorter or buyer may say it does not matter about the less valuable wool on bellies, etc., if we get it on the parts where first-claets wool is grown ; but the breeder and producer know that if sheep show a tendency to bare bellies and legs, and this tendency is not counteracted, they will soon got a breed deficient in wool all over, and it will be a much more difficult thing to breed back, to wool-growers again than to avoid breeding from such aa show a disposition to bare bkins in place of woll-woolled ones. Any one good point may be carried to extreme in breeding if othera are- neglected. A point may not in itself be of very much importance, but it may indicate very important changes in tho constitution of the animal. Sheep having a tendency to bare points and bellies show a weakness or delicacy of constitution and a decided falling off in quantity, and if an animal is bred so that it loses its power ;o produce quantity, it is of little consequence what the quality is, as it will soon be scarcely worth taking off. The tendency to produce is of the first; importance, then there is somothing to work on to improve in quality. Breeding solely from bare-pointed and bare-bellied sheep would soon produce a monstrosity in sheep without wool, in the same way as breeding from sheep with plenty of covering on belly and points, without attention to quality of wool, etc., would produce a monstrosity in an animal covered all over with a sort of hairy, coarse wool. It i 9 most important, from a, breeder's point of view, that a sheep show a tendency to wool growing on belly and every place where _iaturo has made it possible to grow it. Many well-bred and excellent families of merinos have little wool on the belly when turned up, and what is implied here i 6 that class of sheep which, without turning up to examine, show that the wool gradually shortens and thins off from halt way down the rib 3to tba belly, where I the- ,) i-, nothing. Such would not be tolerated w. a,»j. fisck witk juretensiors to be called

stud, but may sometimes be seen in ordinary flocks that have not received proper attention in culling, etc. Whatever the style of coverings is, whether it be crossbred or merino, it is of the first importance that sheep showing a tendency to fall off from that style be i culled out or mated so that this tendency be I counteracted. No sensible man would advocate the growing of a lot of coarse or inferior belly wool to the neglect of quality of fleece. A_ sheep that is well woolled down tho sides, and does not show bare belly until turned up, would not be considered barebellied in the sense here, implied ; but one likes to see a good covering underneath as well. If in any flock of sheep a proportion show a tendency to lightness of belly or skirt wool in comparison with their mates of the same breeding, and treatment, they certainly show want of care in breeding and a falling off. The covering of an animal about the flanks and belly is of the same texture as that over the back, etc., but if an animal fails to have any covering whatever on these parts, as some sheep do, we would not expect a very abundant yield on other parts of their body. The writer of this was present at an English shearing scene not very long ago, when he saw several sheep turned up to be shorn. And there was no feature which struck him more than this one point. Some sheep were beautifully covered under the belly and down the thighs, while others had but the barest sprinkling on those part 3. And we observed very pointedly that the best-covered sheep underneath were the best-woolled all over, and the character of the entire fleece was really good. Now it seems to us that if any sheepbreeder wants to make his calling pay, and pay well, this must be his principal object, and especially so where wool is the primary consideration. " Good wool and plenty of it" is the up-to-date sheepman's motto, and it is certain that the most " brass " lies in that direction. Breed well, keep well, feed well ; and if this does not bring success, then, there is something seriously lacking in the owner of the flock. WOOI AGAIN RISES. The position of fino wool continues eminently satisfactory. There is now no gainsaying the fact that this market is in very deep water : there is a feeling of perfect ease respecting tho future, and men have confidence to act upon their firm convictions. During the past week the market may be said to have taken one more step forward, and 28d may be stated as the present price for a super 60'b top, which in reality is a 64-'s, but known in tho trade as the former. Tho market has now totally recovered from its late fit of despondency, and transactions are very frequent. In fact, several top makers deliberately refuse to come on 'Change, hoping by their absence to put off their regular inquiries, feeling certain that by waiting they will gain considerably. The almost unanimous verdict is that 60's tops will rise to the long-cherished half-crown. The present rate of consumption and with the shortage are both factors which are determining the present course of prices, and there is certainly no relief forthcoming from either quarter. The London sales next week are being looked forward to with as much enthusiasm as the last series, and as high as 10 per cenb. rise is being freely talked about. But with oropsbreds the situation is as opposite aa it well nigh can be. Fine crossbreds are feeling the upward move of merinos, but qualities below 46's are totally neglected, with prices tending downward. Perhaps a little undue pressure is being brought to bear upon these grades, owing to the offering of the new Englinh clip and the tremendous arrivals of crossbreds in London, and though there is in the aggregate a- fairly heavy consumption, yet it is not so large as to keep pace with foreign arrivals. Mohair commands a good deal bf speculative attention. Bradford houses actually paying considerably more at tho sources of supply than what they can obtain here to-day, but they are doing ;his with the hope of seeing things rise on this side. Yarn spinners still find most support coming f i am home manufacturers, and all report themselves as busy. Manufacturers, too, are well off for work, but grumble at having to pay more for materials.